(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to mud flaps for trucks, and more particularly to attachment structure for attaching the mud flaps to the frame of a truck.
(2) Description of the Related Art
As used herein the term "truck" means not only those wheeled vehicles which are self contained and carry the cargo thereon, but also those vehicles known as a tractor-trailer rig. This invention relates to attaching mud flaps over the wheels of such rigs, and it is immaterial as to whether the wheels are on the truck, tractor, or trailer. Therefore, for convenience, the term "truck" is meant to be generic to include all vehicles including the three innumerated above which have wheels which have mud flaps thereon.
Mud flaps are necessary equipment for trucks. Indeed, they are often considered such a necessary piece of equipment that the truck is not permitted to proceed along a highway without them. I.e., a truck with a lost, damaged, or ineffective mud flap must be repaired before the truck can continue its journey.
At present time, mud flaps are normally bolted onto back plates which are attached to the frame of the truck. I.e., the top of the mud flap has holes drilled or punched in the top of it which mate with bolts projecting from back plates. Washers and nuts are then placed on the bolts to hold the mud flaps to the back plate. The mud flap operates in a contaminated environment. Not only might mud be upon the bolts, but also in many cases, the bolt might be corroded from use of salt upon the highway to melt ice. In any event, it is often difficult to remove the nuts to replace the mud flaps, and also, it is difficult to replace the nuts upon the damaged bolts. Furthermore, the mud flaps are often not drilled having standard spaced holes in the top, and the bolts on the back plate are not necessarily spaced for the holes. This, in effect, requires the trucker to carry mud flaps which have been punched to mate the bolts upon his back plate, or in any event, to carry mud flaps with holes punched or drilled therein which are also are the proper length. Even so, he has a difficult and time consuming task of replacing the new mud flap for the damaged one.